This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The long term goal of this project is to determine the role of neuropeptides in male and female parental care. Parental care is known to be modulated via the mammalian neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT). These neuropeptides have known homologues in all other vertebrate classes and are known to regulate the same behaviors seen in mammals. Within the hormone literature in general, the social ecology of the systems focused on is typically overlooked in behavioral endocrine studeis, and it is plausible that the interaction between these neuropeptides is dependant on social organization of the species in question. Here, I am exploring parental care in a territorial monogamous system, the convict cichlid, Amatiliana siquia. In fish, the homologue of AVP and OT is arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) respectively.